It is well documented that biting insects, specifically Culicidae (mosquito), are vectors for many diseases throughout the world. In an effort to eliminate insect-borne diseases, such as malaria and dengue fever, extensive efforts have been carried out worldwide to diminish or eliminate these insects from areas inhabited by humans.
The use of pesticides, such as larvicides, adulticides, Dichloro-Diphenyl-Trichloroethane (DDT) and malathion, to control insects over large areas and the problems associated therewith are well documented. Serious long lasting consequences to both the environment and human health have resulted from the use of such pesticides. The use of pesticides are not desired for environmental reasons, and these chemicals are known to repel insects, thereby decreasing the effectiveness of these methods. Furthermore, there is evidence that some species of insects are beginning to become resistant to these chemicals.
To control insects in more localized areas, such as backyards, various traps have been developed. These traps include: bug zappers and devices that release various gases to attract the insects. The primary purpose of these techniques is to immediately eliminate the insects. However, these techniques do not prevent the population from growing from those eggs and larvae that exist in the breeding ground of these insects.
In addition to these methods, attempts have been made to provide artificial breeding pools that trap the hatching insects. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,896,697 discloses an artificial breeding pool where the eggs are trapped behind a screen that prevents the newly hatched mosquitoes from escaping into the environment. U.S. Pat. No. 3,997,999 discloses an apparatus that traps newly hatched mosquitoes in a separate column from where the eggs were laid.
Artificial breeding pools that eliminate the newly laid eggs or larvae have also been contemplated. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,708,443 discloses an apparatus where the artificial breeding pool contains a filter that traps the eggs and larvae and then exposes the captured biomass to air causing the biomass to dry and thus be eliminated. U.S. Pat. No. 6,990,768 discloses a similar apparatus with the exception that the filter is provided in the form of a belt that captures the biomass and then passes it through a crushing mechanism to eliminate the eggs and larvae.
Although standing water will naturally attract most insects that rely on water to lay their eggs, chemical attractants can be added to the water to increase the attractiveness of the pool to the pregnant insect. For example, US Patent Publication No. 2008/0003197 discloses a controlled release attractant for use in an artificial breeding pool.
Research has shown that after eggs are laid, a chemical cue is released that signals to other mosquitoes that the location is a successful breeding site, which in turn attracts other mosquitoes to lay their eggs. Most of this chemical cue is thought to be released after hatching. The natural chemical cue is a very effective attractant, and acts synergistically with any attractant already in solution. Accordingly, if this natural chemical cue is preserved and concentrated over time, the trap will be more effective in attracting mosquitoes from a larger area.